Expanding plunger for oil wells



Nov. 10,1925. 7

' C. CARD EXPANDING PLUNGER FOR OIL IILLS Filed April 9. 1934 v z .7 5 w w w v. 7/////// 1V //4 IN VEN TOR Cm 0442p WITNESSES? ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CARD, F BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS.

EXPANDING PLUNGER FOR OIL WELLS.

AppIication filed April 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns CARD, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Breckenridge, in the county of Stephens and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Expanding Plunger for Oil Wells, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a pump plunger particularly adapted for oil wells and more particularly it relates to an expanding plunger to insure the tight fitting of the plunger in the working barrel for unfailingly producing a vacuum. or suction for the effective operation of the pump.

The general object of my invention is to provide a plunger having expansible elements thereon and means to expand the same into effective contact with the working barrel and in a manner that wear will be automatically taken up and proper relation to the plunger and working barrel be' maintained at all times, thereby avoiding the expense and trouble attending the use of the ordinary plunger which, when the plunger and barrel become worn to a degree for the pump to be ineffective, requires the pulling of the rods and tubing with the consequent material loss of production.

The manner and means whereby the above objectis attained will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speci- 5 fication, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of an oil well equipped with my improved plunger; Figure 2 is a cross section on an enlarged scale in a plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary de tail view in vertical section of the expansi- 5 ble sleeve and the expanding means therefor. In carrying out my invention in accord ance with the illustrated example the work ing barrel 10 of the pump has the usual form said barrel being equipped with the standing valve 11 and valve cage 12. The

1924. Serial No. 705,288.

cable 13 suspends the plunger let as usual, the upper end of the plunger being valved as usual as at 15.

In accordance with my invention I provide on the plunger 14 loosely fitting sleeves 16 which are adapted to be expanded against the working barrel 10. On the plunger 14: also below each sleeve 16 is a fixed collar or enlargement 17 the upper end of which flares and the terminal edge 18 of which tapers so as to assume a close relation to the inner surface of the working barrel 10. The lower end of each sleeve 16 and therefore that end opposed to the flaring end of the collar 17, is bevelled.

lVith an assemblage comprising the fixed collar 17 and the loose sleeve 16 a wedging action takes place due to the up and down movements of the plunger 14 in the working barrel 10, the sliding movement of the sleeve 16 causing to engage the fixed collar 17 and thereby causing the sleeve to be expanded into tight fit in the working barrel 10 so that an effective vacuum is insured at all times. The opposed flaring ends of the fixed collar and sleeve serve to automatically take up the wear on the plunger and thereby the necessity of pulling the rods and the tubing is avoided.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A well plunger having a member fixed thereon presenting a flaring formation and adapted to be expanded at its flaring portion and a sliding loosely fitting expanding sleeve on said plunger above said member, that end of the sleeve opposed to the flaring end of said member being bevelled to effect a wedging action and an expansion of the sleeve in the operation of the plunger in the working barrel of the well.

CHARLES CARD. 

